Matt Granados of Life Pulse Inc. On An Inside Look at the Benefits and Impact Of Working With an Executive Coach
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
If you’re not investing in growth, you’re betting that your current awareness is enough to reach your future goals.
The competitive edge in business often comes down to a combination of strategy, foresight, and professional development. For executives looking to level up their skills, an executive coach can be their biggest asset. In this feature, we talk to business leaders who heavily invest in personal and professional development opportunities, coaching, and leadership programs. They’ll share why they invest so much and the impact it has on their life.
As a part of this series, we had the pleasure to interview Matt Granados.
Matt Granados is the founder of Life Pulse Inc., a leadership and organizational consulting firm whose clients include Google, the U.S. Military, and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses. He is a two-time #1 International Bestselling Author of Motivate the Unmotivated and The Intentional Week, and a sought-after keynote speaker whose work helps individuals and teams close the gap between where they are and what they’re built to do. Matt and his wife Maria co-founded the Take Part Foundation, a 501(c)(3) funding research for rare pediatric diseases, and are based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Let’s jump in and focus on your early years. First off, can you give us a snapshot of your life before you started your career?
Before Life Pulse, I was driven but scattered. I had ambition. I had energy. I had faith. But I didn’t have structure. My dad used to describe me as a grenade — lots of energy, but unable to be focused; massive damage, but not precise. I believed in working hard, but I hadn’t yet learned how to measure what mattered. I was living with the honest intention to do what’s right but it was not followed by the proper execution. I wanted impact; I just didn’t know how to achieve it.
What changed my life wasn’t a new opportunity. In fact it was a massive setback and challenge. I realized I needed a system to protect myself — from myself. I am, by nature, a disorganized person, so I created the systems needed to get organized. That journey led to the (unintentional) formation of Life Pulse. I realized if these tools helped me, they could help others too.
What was it about personal and professional development that attracted you to start investing in yourself? Also, can you share when you started and what your first investment was?
For me it started when I was 15. I attended a youth program and it opened my eyes to how success actually works. What I didn’t realize at first is that there is a difference between wanting results and willingness to grow.
Outside of books and courses, my first real investment was when I started a business with a mentor. It was a coaching program where we both had the same desired outcomes and it was intense! The decision forced commitment. It created accountability. It exposed blind spots I didn’t even know existed. It made it so I had to work through the tension that leads to transformation. The experience didn’t just improve my performance — it changed how I thought about business and success.
Can you think back and share one of the biggest blind spots you had that someone helped you see and something specific about what you learned and how it showed up in your life?
I call this blind spot my heartbeat — the time my entire life fell apart in front of me. In a span of 30 days I found out that employees had embezzled nearly $250,000, my doctor warned I wouldn’t survive past age 40 with the level of stress in my body, and my fiance at the time left me right before a planned trip to Greece.
I took the trip anyway — but solo. It gave me time for deep reflection. As I shared the story with people around me, I discovered they could all see how out of control my life was — it turns out I was the last person to realize that I needed to make some drastic changes. The experience is the reason why we now do a weekly ‘Pulse Check’ in our program to teach people how to be more self aware and not be blindsided by foolish optimism and disregard for risk and downfall.
I have since learned to have a healthy amount of both fear and respect for possible negative outcomes, a necessary balance that tempers potential reckless behaviour.
How long have you had an executive coach and how would you describe your relationship?
I have always either been a coach or relied on coaching at some level. Once I figure out what I am called to do, I go and find someone who has done that thing, and I hire them as a coach. A great example is the time I decided to prove a point to my wife and run an IRONMAN. I went out and found someone who had competed in the world championship and hired them to coach me to do the same. The same goes for starting a new business; I seek out someone who has already succeeded in that sector, and jump right in!.
Now as a professional executive coach, I always touch base with my own coach — who actually counsels me using our Life Pulse system tools. I’m of the strong opinion that if you suggest others utilize a life coach — you should have one too!
If I was sitting down with your coach, and asked “what’s the one thing your client needs to work on more than anything else in the world” what would I hear them say about you?
He would say that my superpower is also my biggest weakness when not in check; I move fast. I execute quickly. But scale also requires patience and precision. Coaching has helped me build intentional margin so growth doesn’t outpace infrastructure.
If you were questioned about your “ROI” (return on investment), is there anything you can point to that justifies how much you spend on being coached? If not, how do you justify it?
We find that any coaching program should have a CLEAR ROI. It’s not complicated to calculate if you track your progress properly. I start by determining what the goals will yield, and from there I can find the ROI. If there are no clear goals or path to success, then there’s no clear ROI. We make sure to only take action on items that produce an ROI (which is not always dollar-to-dollar but is always dollar-to-value).
Let’s dive into specifics. What are the top 5 things you’ve either gained or learned about yourself, where you specifically made changes, and have seen positive results. Be specific and feel free to give us either the background or story about each.
1. Self-Awareness Precedes Strategy
After implementing weekly pulse checks across internal, physical, relational, and professional areas — my consistency skyrocketed.
2. Solve Root Cause, Not Symptoms
Diagnosing systemic gaps dramatically increases sustainable results for clients.
3. Discipline Is Built, Not Found
Structured weekly planning makes productivity predictable instead of emotional.
4. Natural Integrity Beats Forced Accountability
Aligning actions with values improves follow-through and shapes the 90-Day Goal Rush.
5. Margin Creates Momentum
Intentional margin increases clarity, creativity, and long-term output.
Each of these didn’t just improve me personally, they shaped the Life Pulse methodology into the strong program it is today.
What advice would you give other entrepreneurs who don’t think it’s worth investing in a coach or spending money to join a leadership program?
If you’re not investing in growth, you’re betting that your current awareness is enough to reach your future goals.
Coaching isn’t about weakness; it’s about exposure. It’s critical to shorten the distance between where you are now and where you’re capable of being. The most dangerous phrase in business is “I think I’m doing fine.”
I always like to remind people, you may think you’ve hit your peak, but it’s more likely you only hit a ceiling.
Do you have any examples of how being coached had an impact on others who work around you? How has it spilled over to your team or your family?
Great question! When I became more structured, my team became more structured. When I stopped reacting emotionally and started measuring performance objectively, team meetings became more productive.
At home, margin improved presence. Intentionality improved leadership as a husband and father. Coaching upgrades not only you, but the ecosystem around you.
There are so many executive coaches out there. How did you go about selecting the right one for you?
Three filters: Do they live what they teach? Do they measure progress? Do they challenge comfort?
If it’s just inspiration, it won’t last. I choose coaches willing to confront me and demand execution.
The final piece I look for is aligned values. A coach that simply drives you into the ground until you hit success is foolish in my estimation. You want a coach that is going to elevate you and help you truly experience truth based transformation.
Finally, when selecting a coach, the end result is important but it’s not everything. The journey to get you there also matters a great deal.
Lastly, where can our audience go to follow your journey and perhaps get inspired to make their own investment in coaching?
Website: www.lifepulseinc.com
LinkedIn: Matt Granados
Instagram: @mattgranados
Remember, optimal performance isn’t accidental. It’s engineered.
Thank you so much for joining us! We wish you only success.
About The Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
Matt Granados of Life Pulse Inc On An Inside Look at the Benefits and Impact Of Working With an Exe was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.